D&D 5E Would you prefer warlord or psion as a new class?

[Paul Farquhar]

This is my first attempt to create a poll for these forums, so fingers crossed...

In order to keep the results meaningful I have tried to keep the question simple. Thus, other options, such as "both", "use subclasses" and "spaghetti" have been deliberately omitted. This is purely to try and make the result easier to interpret, and is not intended to suggest they are not perfectly valid options.

Please consider these as an addition to the game as a whole, not for specific settings.

 

[Garthanos]

They already had a poll like this...though it was more open, i seem to recall psion won speculation in part because well they are already talking about seeing the very popular Dark Sun world which absolutely needs psionics

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They already had a poll like this...though it was more open, i seem to recall psion won speculation in part because well they are already talking about seeing the very popular Dark Sun world which absolutely needs psionics

Yup, too open. If you have too many options it makes the results impossible to interpret.

Anyway, I have added a comment to the OP to try and discourage setting specific thinking.

 

[Garthanos]

Yup, too open. If you have to many options it make the results impossible to interpret.

Context influences quite a bit though too... even I though I technically want Warlord significantly more think that the likely upcoming Darksun makes Psionics a more necessary thing ... though I think Mearls mentioned Darksun as a possible venue for his Tactician Warlord from the Happy Fun Hour it would definitely have to be Psion and Warlord or just Psion.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Undoubtadly context is important, and whilst Dark Sun hasn't been hugely discussed recently some people consider psionics important for Eberron. I suppose Warlord would go with Nentir Vale. But I think more non-magic options would be a welcome addition to Dark Sun myself.

There is a much bigger factor which I think skews the outcome, but I will keep quiet about that for now.

 

[jgsugden]

Here is the thing with Psionics that makes it essential for them to release rules early in an edition:

Many of us run home brew worlds. These worlds have existed for various lengths of time - some going back to the 1970s or 1980s. As we switch through the editions, we update the setting to accomodate the rules... and constantly struggle with that to do with all of those long running psionic NPCs when a new edition arises an there is no support.

When we finally get support for it, we struggle to retrofit whatever e cobbled together into the 'official' rules for the edition.

Yes, we can ignore the official rules. Yes, we can just hide those NPCs until the rules come out... There are many hacks we can use to get around the problem ... but it ends up being a long ways around and very obvious to the players. It ends up diminishing the stories we tell. That is something that could be avoided.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess after DS 3PP will create their own "spiritual succesors" and published in DM Guild.

I imagine warlord as a class to play in mass battles or warbands skimirshes. WotC could use Gamma World to create its own version of Necromunda, game by Games Workshop. Birthright would be the right world for D&D wargames.

It is curious but when I try to imagine psion PCs shonen manga heroe comes to my mind. Maybe because in their culture the training and discipline is very important to get the goals.

 

[Shiroiken]

The psion technically fills a missing niche in the game that has existed in the past. While the warlord was a great class (my favorite 4E character was a warlord), it doesn't fill a niche that can't be filled by another class. Everything the warlord is about can be done thru various existing classes and subclasses, so the need just isn't there (even if the fanbase is). I personally feel there are too many overlapping classes as is, that exist primarily due to legacy (barbarian, sorcerer, possibly even paladin and ranger).

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I imagine the warlord as a martial adept with maneuvers of the white raven school (Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords). If there is a "Chainmail", a miniature game about warbands skimishes, or a videogame, the challenge for game designers will be the balance of power if a playable faction is tribemen without firearms not spellcasters.

 

[NaturalZero]

The thing about psionics is that it fills a vital storyline role in established settings. It represents important narrative AND mechanical options in Dark Sun, Eberron, and even FR. Warlord, on the other hand, is purely a mechanical entity.